Sweet as Strawberries
by Thor
Summary: Stories about a sweet little girl...and the men who died loving her.
1. Wrong Bar

Welcome, salutations, and manifold greetings o reader. What you look upon now is the first of a small series of tales that will feature a new character of Detroit. This story arc came about as I was working on developing a cadre of less then nice people to plague my poor battered heroes. One of them stuck out as having an interesting background, and I decided to embellish on it, this will be those stories. As always questions, rants, confusions, and that amazing story about the tuna and the weed whacker can be sent to me at arcanloth@hotmail.com. (For those who care about my continuity this story runs parralel with the Marv tale "Home Improvement", to be posted at a reputable server near you soon.) Now, please feel free to read on.

Sweet as Strawberries: A Tale of Detroit 

Target 1: Wrong Bar 

I'm a dead man, and I'm going to die. I realize that sounds a little...y'know, redundant. It ain't. Let me break it down for you real simple like. I'm a vampire. Every night I arise from my sleep to drink the blood of the living as I have done for the past sixty years. I'm part of a large group of vampires called the Camarilla. We're the reason you never know about us. We make sure that nobody ever remembers or can prove anything about us. We're very good at our job.

I also said I'm going to die. Speaking as a creature capable of bending steel in my bare hands and moving faster then you can imagine this might seem a surprising statement. But then you probably don't know about the Sabbat. They're the opposite of the Camarilla. While we try to hold onto and maintain an illusion of our human nature they revel in their own monstrous atrocity. We think of humans as sheep to be herded. They think of them as cattle to be culled. A minor difference perhaps, but trust me, you should be happy we control most of the major cities. Better a sheep then a Happy Meal after all.

But it's this control that pisses the Sabbat off. Y'see, we're basically winning the war because we know how to handle people. But the Sabbat don't wanna go easy, thus they tend to keep things simple. We outmaneuver, outsmart, outplay. They try to kill us. Sure we kill them too. In a face to face, one on one fight I'm up to taking on any damn Sabbat fuckhead. But the Sabbat like to hunt in packs, like jackals or wolves. They wear you out, reel you in, and bring you down. For as good as we are at dealing with humans, the Sabbat is just as good at dealing death and mayhem.

That's why I knew there was going to be trouble the instant I walked into my club. I'd been closed down for "renovations" to the place. In truth I'd been having a couple of meetings and trying to wrangle some extra power and control for myself. I'd been mainly using the club to help hold the meetings and house my human servants. But when I walked in tonight the place was a shattered ruin. My boys were strewn from the rafters, seriously! Their bodies had been ripped open and blood splattered and coated the floor. It looked like one of those Sabbat 'Blood Feasts' I'd heard about. All of them were dead, and the phone was ringing. I picked it up.

"You're next A.J., don't run off now."

The voice on the other end was practically laughing in amusement. I ran. I knew it had to be Sabbat. No one else would be that overt and vicious in a killing. I knew a pack had to have been sent to destroy me. What I didn't know is why. Why me? I'm really pretty small game considering most of their possible choices. It didn't make any sense to hunt me down! But that didn't matter right now, what mattered was getting out of there alive. Even as I burst out of the doors of my club I saw him. Standing across the street and hanging up the pay phone. Slim and pale motherfucker, his bleached blonde hair shaved close to his head. His hands tucked comfortably into his long black overcoat.

I moved faster then I had ever thought I could. I swear I was right out of the fucking Matrix. I leaped into my car and started it in a flash. My foot pressed the pedal to the metal as I peeled out. I saw him in the rearview mirror. Just standing there and watching me race away from him. An odd little smile on his pallid, inhuman face. I take a fast corner, tires squealing as I spin into the flow of traffic. I keep accelerating as I zip past cars and roar around trucks. A few blocks later I spin into an alley and slam on the brakes. Before the car has even stopped I'm out and running.

I had to ditch it. My car had been made and they would be hunting for it now. I'd need to find another set of wheels. I rush to the end of the alley and leap over the chain-link fence easily. I drop lightly on the other side and sprint down the next alley and across the street. I'm out in the middle of nowhere, a bad and poor section of Detroit. It's dangerous, cause out here there's nothing to dissuade the Sabbat from attacking if they find me. However they won't expect me to be here, they'd probably expect me to head towards downtown and the crowds. It's a good place to hide out. A good place to disappear. I keep moving, making sure to keep my path varied and impossible to follow. 

* * *

I spot Gurdy's and head towards it. Gurdy's is a piece of shit country bar. Its only real clientele are losers, and people who wish they were losers. But the owner knows about vampires, and some of the anarchs hang out there occasionally. Anarchs may not support the Camarilla, but they have no love for the Sabbat either. It looked like a good place to hide. At least if I was found they wouldn't attack openly. If they did I could probably count on anarch support. All this, and Gurdy did a mean blood and alcohol mixed drink. I needed a drink. Actually I needed an army, but at least with the drink I might not think I did.

The bar was, as usual, filled with smoke and the stench of sweat and vomit. I walk up to the bar and nab a stool. I take a few moments to just try and slow down and relax. I had to try to figure out why the Sabbat had suddenly decided that I was worth hunting down. I was a small operator. I was a minor force in my clan, much less the Camarilla. I wasn't involved in any businesses that might help the war effort. I ran a club, and that was it! I didn't even bribe the cops! It didn't make sense, just no sense...

"Hey, Gurdy! I need a bottle of your special brew and a glass." 

I call out the order to the grizzled man tending the bar. He nods to me and immediately produces a stained shot glass and a dark bottle. I slap a twenty down on the sticky surface of the bar. Gurdy's wizened hand instantly snapped out to grab the bill and cram it into his sweat stained apron. I pop open the bottle and sniff in appreciation of the warm and rich aroma of the blood drink. I pour myself a shot and down it in one gulp. The thick liquid is like fire as it rolls down my throat and fills my stomach. A figure slides into a seat a few stools down from me.

"A martini, dry."

His voice clues me in even before I get a good look at him. He glances up at me, his sunken dark eyes seeming to mock me. He can't be human! How did he follow me? The bastard sits there with a grin on his face and watches me quietly. I'm so fucking dead! I try to keep my hands steady as I pour another shot. What did I do to deserve this? The guy just sits there. How am I going to get out of here? Then I feel someone close behind me. My muscles tighten as I prepare for the worst. I spin my chair around and catch that faint scent that throws my world on its head. Strawberries, she always smelled of strawberries.

"Hello A.J., it's been a long time."

She stands before me. Her small and petite frame wrapped in a heavy pink fur coat. Her thick, full lips glisten with soft pink lipstick. Her pink gloved hands nervously clutch her small purse in front of her as she eyes me with her large and gentle blue eyes. Her strawberry blonde hair is shorter now. It curls around her slightly freckled cheeks and tapered chin. She tries to smile slightly.

"I know you probably never expected to see me again, but I had to see you."

Oh hell. Not here, not now. Of all the times and all the places for her to come back into my life. This was not good, this was not helpful. She takes a small and nervous step forward. Her wide eyes lock with mine. The deep liquid depths of them seem to swallow me up slightly. I'm drowning.

"Hello Becky."

"Oh A.J. don't be like that." Her eyes go hurtful, a slight trace of pain and loss in them. "Can't you call me what you used to call me. You remember don't you? Kandy, you called me your sweet strawberry Kandy."

I had. Back then, back when I had first drank of her and changed her life. God it felt like forever. She looked just as she had the day I had damned her soul. My childe, my Becky, my dear sweet Kandy. She had been my first, my first childe, my first love. I had given her all I could, I had given her immortality, I had given her my soul. But she had left me, said she needed more from life then I could provide. I cried that night, as I cry every night I think about her. I had heard she'd left town, that she'd fallen in with some Ventrue. That they were lovers and he gave her all that I couldn't afford. Why was she here? Why was she back? No, it isn't right. Don't offer me a taste of heaven as I'm running from demons.

"I found you, it took a while but I found you again." Her hand reaches out and brushes along my cheek. She smiles. "A.J., I had to find you and tell you. I was wrong to leave you. No matter what happened in the past, no matter what happens tomorrow, or the next night. I just had to tell you what you mean to me."

I'm speechless. If my heart could still beat it would be fluttering. My blood is surging through my veins, the heat filling me fully. I reach up and take her small hand in mine. I clasp it tightly, not wanting to ever let go of her again.

"Will ya look at that," mutters some bruiser as he nods his head towards me. "Some guys have all the luck."

"Whatever you say Marv," mumbles Gurdy as he cleans a glass with a dirty rag. Their voices are distant to me. All that matters is the small vision in pink before me.

"Kandy, you shouldn't be here. It's not safe." I turn to glance over at the Sabbat. But he's gone. I peer around the bar, but can't spot him. "Gurdy, where the hell did that guy at the end of the bar go?"

"Sorry man," Gurdy shrugs as he stands nearby talking with the large bruiser covered in scars and bandages. "I don't see anything." 

"Kandy, I have to go, now!"

"Take me with you!"

She presses herself to me. Her eyes wide, her skin soft. Her lips parted slightly as she gasps in eagerness. I wrap my arm about her shoulders as we stand. Her scent fills my nostrils as we move towards the door. 

"Hey pal, you gonna finish this?" Marv grabs my bottle, I don't look back. He starts drinking and turns back to Gurdy. "Heh, somebody's gonna be having himself a time tonight. Ain't love grand?"

"Whatever you say Marv." 

* * *

"Kandy, my sweet strawberry..."

I lie on the bed of the cheap dive motel. Kandy straddles me, her eyes screwed shut in concentration, her lips quivering slightly. My hands run along her shapely legs. Fingers brushing across her delicate pink nylons. Her hands are pressed against the bed, giving her added support as she rocks up and down atop me. Her strawberry blonde hair bounces around her rounded face. Her glistening pink lips part slightly to release a small gasp of pleasure. Her other pink lips grow tighter.

I push the soft and light material of her dress up. My hands cupping the smooth yielding flesh of her buttocks. I feel the muscles in them shifting as she increases her pace. She clutches at her breast and throat. Her moans are coming faster now, sharp little hisses of joy. I feel the pressure building within myself. I sit up and wrap my arms around her. I hold her tightly as we reach the pinnacle together. Perfect, just like we always were. We sit there for a few moments, just letting the pleasant afterglow wash over us. My face is pressed to her heaving bosom. Her head rests against mine. Her breath flows gently across my ear. Her fingers play softly with my hair.

"Kandy...I love you," I manage to finally gasp out what I realized I'd been thinking this whole time. She was back with me now, anything was possible. "Come with me baby. We'll leave this town, go live somewhere else. I love you."

She turns away from me, pushing me back slightly. Her arms wrap around herself as she sobs slightly. I watch her bare shoulders shake. Her head tilts forward, casting her soft strawberry blonde hair across her face.

"I...I love you too A.J., I realize that now. I love you more then I ever thought possible. You're the only one I ever could love..."

"Oh baby..." She sobs again, shaking her head slowly. I reach forward, my hand rests on her shoulders as I try to comfort her. She suddenly goes quiet.

"That's why you have to die!"

She spins around, her face a mask of fury. Bloody tears stain her cheeks where she had been crying. Her hand chops hard into my neck, I feel it splinter and pop. Her other hand curls into a fist and slams into my solar plexus. My ribs crunch slightly under the superhumanly strong blow. I'm thrown back off the bed. I sprawl on the grimy floor as I land hard. She stands over me, her fingernails lengthening into vicious claws. Her eyes ablaze and glowing red. I look up and try to choke out the only words I can think to say.

"Becky...why?"

"Because of my friends A.J. After I left you I ended up with a real jerk. He beat me...abused me...tried to control me. I killed him. You see, it turns out I like killing, and I'm good at it. Very good. I found a group of people who appreciated my potential. They taught me all I needed to know. Tonight was my graduation into their organization. But I had to prove my loyalty, had to show my allegiance with one final act. If I could kill the only man I've ever loved, they'll know I can do anything."

She leaps off the bed and drops onto me. Her claws slam into my chest, ripping apart flesh and bone, shredding my heart. I lock eyes with her one last time, I smell her scent...like strawberries. Then I feel no more. Becky stands up and looks down at me as a figure speaks from the shadows of the room.

"Good job."

"I did cry."

"That's part of the process. You may go, I'll deal with the mess. But we'll need a code name when contacting you. Something you'll know." She wipes the blood off her hands onto the carpet. Then she grabs a sheet off the bed and uses it to wipe the bloody tears from her face. She looks down sadly at A.J., then slowly turns back to the figure.

"Call me Kandy." 


	2. Wrong Road

Wrong Road 

The rain sprays in a fine mist across my windshield. The wipers lash furiously back and forth in a vain attempt to keep my vision clear. Water sluices away from the glass, offering me a brief glimpse of the road ahead before the windshield is again spattered with drops. My high-beams are on. The twin flares of white light stab into the night in a futile battle with the rain swept darkness. My glasses are also wet, my features damp with sweat. I try to blink back the tears as I drive, force myself to concentrate on the road.

You work too hard for too little! That's what Georgia had said to me. First words out of her mouth as I came through the door. My back and shoulders ached from the long drive. My face was sore from the obligatory salesman's smile I had kept plastered on over three-hundred miles and four states. Stupid...that had been the next word. It had been the constant word. If only you weren't so stupid. That was stupid. Why are you so stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! More tears leak from my eyes. I mutter and try to wipe them away. It just seems stupid to cry now.

She shouldn't have said those things. Not to me. Sure my job keeps me away. Sure I'm not a huge success. Sure I was passed over on the promotion again. But she shouldn't have said those things. Don't I keep food on the table? Don't I keep a roof over her head? Don't I? Don't I! She shouldn't have said those things. I know it's been tough, I can see the damn bills too. But things could have changed, I just needed to see what next month would bring. Couldn't she have put a bit more faith in me?

I wish you'd just go to hell. Those had been the last words. There would never be any more yelling. No more fights. No more marriage. It was over now, I just couldn't bear it any longer. I had told her I would end it, and I had. Sure I'd cried, sure I'd been scared. But I'd stuck to my guns, I'd made it happen. I was free now. Georgia would never call me stupid or yell at me again. The tense knot in the back of my spine seems to uncoil slightly at that thought. A strange sense of peace passes over me. I peer ahead through the driving rain. It's only the sudden crack of lightning that lets me spot the faint scrap of pink laying in the middle of the road.

I twist the wheel and slam on the brakes. My car squeals in protest, spinning slightly as it losses traction on the muddy road. With a hard jerk I come to a stop. I pause for a while and breathe in sharply. I turn and peer out the window at the scrap of pink, it was a woman. I quickly pop open my door and hop out. She's sitting up slowly as I approach her. She moans as she grips her head and shakes it slightly in confusion.

My god she was a vision. A thin as tissue pink mini-dress is plastered wetly to her curvaceous body. It's bunched up slightly around her hips, revealing more of her shapely thighs and the tops of her pink lace stockings. A light pink coat hung down around her elbows, leaving her toned back and shoulders exposed. Her short strawberry blonde hair clung wetly to her rounded and lightly freckled face. She turns towards me as I approach, her eyes wide in confusion.

"Miss...Miss, are you okay?" She stumbles slightly, I catch her. She's cold and light in my grasp. I carefully support her, her soft wet body pressing against mine. "Miss?"

"Oh...what happened? My car broke down...I was walking for help...there was this bright flash..."

"Lightning," I say as I turn to help her towards my car. "You must have been hit by lightning. You're lucky to be alive. I should probably get you to a hospital."

"No, that's okay." She smiles slightly up at me, her lips glistening pink. "I actually feel fine."

"Well then, would you like a lift back to your car? Maybe I could help."

She nods in thanks, I help her climb into my Volkswagen. I quickly rush around and hop back in, I'm soaked. I sigh as I pull off my glasses and wipe the fog off them. She just leans back on the seat and sighs. She pulls her coat around herself, hiding the tantalizing stretches of her bare, wet skin. I start driving again and try to keep my eyes off her and on the road.

"So what's your name?"

I start slightly at her words and glance over at her. She's sitting in her seat and smiling slightly at me. Her hand reaches up and pushes some of her strawberry blonde hair away from her lightly freckled face. Her eyes lock with mine. I swallow nervously and spin back to keep an eye on the road.

"Uh, Jack, my name's Jack."

"So what are you doing out here Jack?"

"I'm a salesman...I travel around a lot."

Laughter bubbles out from her soft lips. Her chest rises and falls quickly as she laughs. My glasses fog up again and It's a struggle to wipe at them and stay on the road. Rain drums and beats along the top of my car. My heart drums and beats in my chest. The stuffy wet smell of my car is being filled with a new scent. She leans close, the smell of strawberries tantalizingly stroking beneath my nose. I feel her cool breath as her lips press close to my ear.

"Tell me Jack...are you married?"

"N-no."

"Why did you offer me a ride, do you like me Jack?"

"I...it seemed the right thing..."

"You're a nice guy Jack, thanks."

She suddenly leans back. Her white teeth flashing slightly behind her gleaming pink lips. She points down a service road and tells me to turn there. My car bounces and rocks over the rough muddy road. Trees press in close from either side. My headlights can't seem to shine much farther then three feet in front of me. The rain is pounding against my windshield, fogging and blocking my vision. The car is filled with her soft, sweet scent. Then I see the sign, just barely, as I pass it. The Fernando Yolanda Tar Pits.

"Did you really walk all this way from your car in the rain?"

"I'm not taking you to my car."

She smiles, small dimples appearing on her rounded cheeks. I stop the car in an open field. Around us in the darkness I can see the looming shapes of the statues. Giant dinosaur statues that roar silently into the dark sky. I turn nervously to her as she reaches over and opens the door.

"Let's go for a walk."

"But, it's raining."

"There's an old Samurai saying about the rain, Jack. I can't remember it all, but...basically what it says is that; rain is only a problem if you don't want to get wet." She steps out of the car and looks up at the sky. The rain pours down on her, dripping off her face and hair. She pulls open her coat, allowing the water to cascade down her dress. Soaking it to the bone and causing it to cling perfectly to her alluring curves. She turns and looks at me as a brief flash of lightning illuminates her face. She's smiling. "I like to get wet...come get wet with me."

I fumble with the handle of my door and swing it open. My feet sink into the wet muddy ground as I follow her deeper into the field. The rain pounds down on my head and shoulders. My glasses become coated in a wet mist, my jacket goes damp and clings to me. Freezing water pours down the back of my neck and across my shoulders. But I don't feel cold, I feel warm. I watch as she saunters ahead of me. She walks up to a T-Rex statue and rests her hand against it as she turns back towards me. Her eyes gleam at me from under her damp, dripping hair.

"I like the rain, it reminds me of my first time. Me and a young boy from my school. He wasn't in a rush like so many young boys would have been. He did it right, he took it slow. He was very nice."

She presses her back against the statue. Lightning crackles overhead illuminating claws, and teeth, and her. She reaches up and brushes her hand along her shoulder, pushing off the slim strap of her dress. She pulls the damp material aside to reveal the soft globe of her breast. The nipple is already hard in the cold, wet night. I stand awestruck and silent, just watching each of her movements.

"He took his time undressing me. Then he kissed my lips, my neck, my breasts." She reaches down and slowly peels up her skirt. "Then he kissed me down there." She looks up at me, my breath freezes in my throat. "Would you like to kiss me?"

I come to her. My lips meet hers. They're warm, her body is cold. Cold next to the heat of mine. My hands brush along her cheeks, pushing back her damp hair from her delicate face. I kiss her cheeks, and nose, and lips. Her hands slowly trace down my chest. Pushing under my shirt, running along my skin. Her touch is soft as a feather as she reaches down into my pants. Her smell fills my nose as she whispers into my ear.

"It's important that a boy is nice. Do you think I'm nice?"

Words are beyond me, all I manage is a low animalistic groan as she and I fall to the ground. The rain pounds down on us as she pulls my pants down. I push her dress up around her slim waist. She lies open and waiting for me. Her eyes meet mine, she smiles. I go slow, I go careful. She gasps slightly, her hips rocking forward rhythmically with my thrusts. Her hands grab my head and pull me towards her warm, moist, pink lips. Suddenly I pause. She tugs slightly, a low moan of want escaping from her eager mouth. I shake my head and pull back.

"Wait, stop. I need to tell you something."

"It can wait," she arcs her back, her eyes painted clearly with her desire.

"No. No it can't. I need to tell you, I've always been honest and can't hide this. When you asked if I was married and I said no. That was a lie. It doesn't matter to me, but I thought it might to you."

"Oh sweetie, why are you going and lying about something like that."

"It's not a lie, I'm-"

My words are cut off as her hand lashes up and clamps tight around my throat. I gag as she spins me over and slams me hard onto the muddy ground. She springs lightly atop me, her hand still clenched on my neck. Her eyes narrow as she stares down at me. Water drips and splashes off her hair and bare breast.

"C'mon. I read you file. You're single. I can understand you giving me a false name and all, but why lie about that?"

"I'm not lying!" I struggle weakly, my words hissing out of me in a croak. "My name is Jack Robards, I'm a salesman, I'm married!"

She scowls at me. Her free hand slips down to my pants and pulls my wallet out of my pocket. She flips it open as thunder rumbles by overhead. Her eyes dance over the pictures inside. She drops the wallet and grabs my hand. She pulls off my glove and looks at the ring there.

"Damnit!" She hops off me and shakes her head. She starts walking away and stops to stare up into the dark sky. "I know that damn photo was blurry but you were right on time! Same car, same road. Damn what a mess this will be!"

"I'm sorry, really." I gasp as I struggle up to my knees. "I'll drive you anywhere you want to go." She turns towards me, her eyes narrow, her bright pink lips slightly upturned.

"Thanks Jack, you're really sweet."

Her motion is that of a pink blur. Her hands have claws, they open up my throat in one neat cut. Blood sprays from the wound as I collapse backwards to the muddy ground. She watches me carefully as the last of my life bleeds away.

"What a bother!"

Kandy grabbed the body and slung it over her shoulder. She turned and started to walk back towards Jake's car. Headlights flared through the darkness as a black Corvette pulled up nearby. The door swung open as Ian stepped out. His narrow face turned about slowly as he eyed the area. Water bounced and splashed through his bleached blonde hair as he opened an umbrella and walked towards her.

"A mistake?"

"Yes," she mutters quietly. "I'm sorry, I really messed things up."

"Don't worry about it. If you hurry you can have another chance at your quarry, he'll be arriving on the one p.m. southbound Amtrak. Of course I could get Reese to do it if you're not feeling up to it."

"Reese is a slob, I'll do it. Now, what do we do with him?"

"Let's check his trunk," said Ian with a smirk. He opened the door to the car and popped it open. He and Kandy walked around and looked down into it. "Ah...it appears occupied. Six bullets to the chest, amateur work."

"That has to be his wife. Strange, he seemed like such a nice guy." 


	3. Wrong Track

A piece written to practice description and color. Also concludes some of the problems that Kandy came across in 'Wrong Road'.

Wrong Track 

I'm sitting in a half empty subway car. The cheap lights flicker and pop above me, only about half of them are even working. The other passengers on the car all stare at nothing. Not one of their gazes meets mine or that of any other passenger. It amuses me how much they all look like each other. Wide-eyed and frightened creatures in varying shades of gray. Gray, that's the way to describe the car. Gray walls, gray floors. The passengers little huddled masses of gray. Gray suits, gray pants, gray faces. Little beady gray eyes, like those of a dead rat.

I hate people. Not so much for any reason other then this grayness. They curl in and hide within themselves. Pathetic. If you never take charge and try to claim the ring you'll never get anywhere in this world. That's what I told some of my friends when I went to make this deal happen. Eight kilograms. Eight kilos that I smuggled in. That I risked my life for. So what if I had an exclusive deal of supply. I made about three times what I would have by heading across the border and selling in Canada. My friends warned me it was dangerous to cross my bosses, I'm not too worried.

There are all sorts of stories about them. Tales to inspire fear and awe. Tales of dark magic and demons. I might have almost believed them, after all, I'm not exactly human myself. Ghoul. That's what they call us. They being the vampires, our masters. We drink their blood. It gives us strength and powers beyond those of normal humans. It also serves to enslave us to their will. I've known ghouls who've died for their masters, slain themselves at a whispered command for their lord's pleasure. But not me. I'm one of the lucky ones. For some reason I just don't seem to get mind raped after drinking the blood.

That's why I'm here. That's how I could do what I've done. My bosses think they can control me with whispered threats of their dark deeds. Screw that. Oh, they'll still get their expected cut. But I'll pocket the difference. No harm done. So I sit in the gray car and watch the gray people. I can't wait to get out of here. I'm starting to drift off, hypnotized by the steady humming and shaking of the car. But then the door opens and she walks in.

Color. Life. Energy. The gray people shift uneasily as she enters, they know she is not one of them. She has chosen to live, chosen to feel. Her strawberry blonde hair is damp and clinging to her rounded and freckled face. A damp pink coat is pulled tightly across her shapely waist. Her eyes lock with mine, they throw me a look that's all business. I sit in stupid shock and watch as she walks past me. Her hips swaying alluringly as she slips into the next car down. I swallow and stand up as the color washes past after her and the gray returns. A lingering scent is in the air, her scent, strawberries.

I follow after her, my heart beating hard within my chest. My throat is dry, I'm breathing fast. She's in the last car of the train. The lights don't work at all here. But I can still see her, she practically glows. Her bright pink lips curl upward into a smile as I enter. Lights flash and stream through the windows as she beckons me to her. I walk forward, she slowly retreats before me. I grin at her game, her eyes gleam with anticipation. She presses her back to the emergency door at the back of the car, she waits.

I drop my case of money onto a nearby seat. I pull off my jacket and toss it on top. She reaches down, her slim fingers slowly brushing across her pink nylons as she grips the hem on her tight skirt. She pulls it upward, revealing toned bare flesh and a small scrap of pink lace between me and paradise. I step forward, my hands roaming over her body. Her fingers move quickly and surely, unbuckling my belt and opening my fly. She grips me firmly and guides me into her sweet velvety depths. She sighs, a soft hiss of breath rushing past my ear. I feel waves of pleasure pouring through my body as I begin to move in and out of her. Blood rushes behind my ears, my senses blur...

I'm in love.

Her hands suddenly clamp onto my face, sharpened claws extending from her thumbs as she plants them into my eyes. The delicate membranes are shredded as ocular fluid streams out around her small fingers and pours down my cheeks, soon to be joined by gushing spurts of blood. I manage one bone chilling scream of agony before her hand rips across my throat and opens it to the world. I feel my shirt grow damp. My lungs start to feel like they're filling to bursting with a heavy liquid. I stagger and hear a loud pop, air rushes around me and ruffles my hair. I catch a faint whiff of strawberries as she whispers into my ear.

"Never cross the boss."

She slams her hand into my back. I catapult forward and sail out into open space. I hear the roar of the train as it speeds away and I smash down onto the rails. Bones crunch and splinter as I gag around my torn throat. 

Kandy slowly stepped back from the open door and hugged herself. Her short hair whipped around her face in the breeze as her open coat and loosened dress fluttered softly. Behind her Ian stepped out of the shadows and picked up the case of money.

"Do you intend to sleep with all of them," he asked with a small sigh. Kandy hugged herself tighter, her large eyes growing slightly sad as she looked out into the darkness where the ghoul had vanished.

"Only the ones I like."


End file.
